Update on ‘10 Year Plan to End Homelessness’ will be January 29

Missoula’s 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness, called ‘Reaching Home’ is seven years along, and the public is invited to an update on the progress of the project on Tuesday, January 29th from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Reaching Home Coordinator Theresa Williams said the plan is about to enter its third and final phase ‘Making Adjustments to Ensure Stability’.

“The coordinated outreach team, who previously were outreach workers in agencies which were well intentioned,” said Williams. “With the Coordinated Entry System we’ve brought everyone together so we’re not duplicating services. Now, this is an eight member team that is being intentional about where they are going and they’re using resources wisely.”

Williams said there have been many successes in the program to help find help for homeless people in Missoula.

“One of our recent successes is that someone obtained housing within six hours of receiving a voucher,” she said. “That is amazing, but it can also take up to a year to locate housing with a voucher, so it goes from one extreme to another, and because it can be so challenging to find housing, we also see people who have to get extensions on their vouchers because they’re hospitalized, or going through substance abuse treatment. Our whole staff is working tirelessly trying to help people get into housing.”

The annual update will be held on Tuesday, January 29 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Missoula City Council Chambers at 140 West Pine Street.

The event will also be streamed live on Missoula Community Access Television.